![]() ![]() How big is this problem? More than 40% of one company’s engineers said they are in the top 5%. Lying to oneself may explain why so many people say they are above average. ![]() Then there’s that odd habit we sometimes have of lying to ourselves. And 44% said they had donated to the university in the past year. Fewer than 2% reported that they graduated with lower than a 2.5 GPA (grade point average). People consistently gave wrong information, in ways that made them look good. The answers were compared with official records. A recent survey asked University of Maryland graduates various questions about their college experience. But, while what’s embarrassing or desirable may have changed, people’s tendency to deceive pollsters remains strong. Has anything changed in 65 years? In the age of the internet, not owning a library card is no longer embarrassing. The word 'gay' is 10% more likely to complete searches that begin 'Is my husband.' than the word 'cheating' Even though nobody gave their names, people, in large numbers, exaggerated their voter registration status, voting behaviour, and charitable giving. What the residents reported to the surveys was very different from the data the researchers had gathered. They then surveyed the residents to see if the percentages would match. ![]() Researchers collected data, from official sources, on the residents of Denver: what percentage of them voted, gave to charity, and owned a library card. An important paper in 1950 provided powerful evidence of how surveys can fall victim to such bias. They want to look good, even though most surveys are anonymous. Many people underreport embarrassing behaviours and thoughts on surveys. Have you ever fantasised about killing someone? They say they like women when they really like men. They say they’re happy while in the dumps. ![]() They say they’ll be in touch when they won’t. They lie about how often they go to the gym, how much those new shoes cost, whether they read that book. People lie about how many drinks they had on the way home. ![]()
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